NB I clubs report record revenues but wage costs exceed UEFA benchmark

Clubs in NB I recorded average operating revenues of 13.5 million euros during the 2024 financial year, marking a 23% increase and a new record for the Hungarian top flight. According to a report by the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ), this performance placed the league 21st in UEFA revenue rankings, positioning it closely with Polish and Croatian indicators.

Despite rising income, aggregate operating expenses increased by 10% to 146.5 million euros. This resulted in an average expenditure of 12.2 million euros per club, also a record level. Personnel costs represented 70% of these operating expenses and accounted for 76% of operating revenues. This ratio exceeds the 70% sustainability threshold recommended by UEFA for European clubs.

Revenue generation remains heavily reliant on non-commercial sources. Other operating revenues, including subsidies, comprised 35% of total income across the division. In contrast, ticket sales contributed only 5% of revenue. The average ticket price was 7.46 euros per spectator, even as average attendance rose to 4,567.

Ferencváros significantly outperformed domestic rivals financially. The Budapest club recorded nearly 20 billion forints in revenue, a sum exceeding the combined totals of DVTK, Puskás Akadémia and MTK. This disparity is largely driven by European competition; Ferencváros received 68% of all UEFA revenue distributed to Hungarian clubs due to its regular participation in group stages.

The MLSZ report also highlighted a substantial gap between accounting values and market estimates for player assets. Player registration rights were valued at 23 million euros in club accounts. However, Transfermarkt estimated the market value of these same squads at nearly 147 million euros, indicating that book values represent a fraction of perceived external worth.